In a joint interview, Ruitenbeek and Sinha said they developed the concept for the Houellebecq film with the author and shot 600 hours of footage of him, with his contractual consent. Houellebecq only objected when they put together a two-minute trailer for the work in progress, according to Ruitenbeek and Sinha. (Houellebecq has a long history of making critical statements about Islam, and some readers have found Islamophobic sentiments in his books.) In a French court, Houellebecq argued that the trailer violated his privacy and damaged his image. After Houellebecq left the project, KIRAC filmed in and around the court proceedings, as well as shooting other moments, such as Saturday night’s cockroach show.

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Persons: Ruitenbeek, Sinha, Houellebecq, “, ” Ruitenbeek, KIRAC, Jacqueline Schaap Locations: Morocco, Paris, Amsterdam